RAYVILLE, Mo. (KCTV) - An Independence man now faces 15 felony counts of child abuse for the alleged systematic torture of his stepchild.

Ray County, Missouri, Circuit Court records filed on Friday, Nov. 21, indicate that Dennis E. Waters Jr., 43, has been charged in connection with the years-old abuse of his stepson.

Court documents indicated that Waters faces charges alongside the child’s biological mother, Courtney Johnson. She was previously charged in January 2023 with:

14 counts of child abuse

2 counts of endangering the welfare of a child

Tampering with a witness

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Investigators indicated that the charges stem from a March 2021 investigation that began when the Missouri Children’s Divi

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